Burial-casket-lowering device.



No. 634,876. Patented Oct. l7, I899.

M. .1. CAMERON. BUBIAL CASKET LOWERING DEVICE.

(Application filed Feb. 8, 1899.)

(No Model.)

r I I 1 I I l I l NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

MITCHELL .I. CAMERON, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.

BU RlAL-CASKET-LOWERING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,876, dated October17, 1899.

Application filed February 8, 1899. Serial No. 704,947. (No model.)

To (til whom, it TIM/ 7 concern.-

Be it known that I, MITCHELL J. CAMERON, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Auburn, county of Cayuga, State of New York,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Burial-Casket-LoweringDevices, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings on one sheet, making part of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in burial-casket-l0wering devicesin which a pair of straps or cords is used near either end of saidburial-casket for the purpose of lowering the same into an inclosingouter case and for lowering the same either together or singly into theground.

In some instances annoyance has not infrequently been caused by anon-uniform action of the connecting devices attached on the ends of thelowering straps or cords which serve to support the burial-casket whileit is being lowered to place, and an undesirable clicking or noise (manytimes multiplied by the cavernous environment) has at times been noticedwhen the releasement or disconnection of the same was effected so thatthe straps or cords might be withdrawn after the burialcasket had beenlowered to its resting-place. Besides, in other cases an arrangement ofconnecting parts whereby one or more of the same has been left in thegrave with the casket after the straps or cords have been disconnected,thus necessitating a renewal of the same for each act of lowering, hasbeen found on some occasions the cause not only of inconvenience but attimes of embarrassment when other of the said parts were not ready athand.

It is the object of my improvement to meet the aforesaidobjections,'besides to afford for the desired purpose an arrangement ofparts that shall be not only positive and unfailing in their action, butnoiseless as well. I attain these ends by the mechanism illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view of agrave show ing a box with a burial-basket inclosed therein and in theposition of being lowered to the bottom of the grave by means of thestraps or cords having my improvement attached thereon. In the samefigure the dotted lines show the position of the box when lowered toplace and beneath it the straps or cords detached or released and readyfor withdrawal. Fig. 2 is a full-sized working, plan view show- 'ing onepair of straps of webbing having my improvement attached on the loweringends thereof and hooked together. Fig. 3 is an edge view of Fig. 2. Fig.4 is an edge view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the action of myimprovenent in the release or disconnection of the straps at the momentthe casket has reached the bottom of the grave; and Fig. 5 is a detachedview of the hinged hook in side elevation, which is a part of myimprovement.

It may be necessary to say in this connection that the straps or cordsare delivered during the lowering process and afterward withdrawn by amechanism peculiarly adapted to and constructedfor the purpose, butwhich it is unnecessary todescribe.

Similar figures of reference in the drawings refer to similar partsthroughout.

In Fig. 2, 12 representa pair of the lowering straps or cords used forlowering one end of the burial-casket, and as a similar pair similarlyequipped are used at the other end it will only be necessary to describethe pair in question. The lowering-strap l. is provided with a plate 3,which is bent upon itself on a shaft 4:, and isprovided with the recess5. Before the said plate 3 is attached to the end of the lowering-strap1 a weight 6 (see Fig. 3) is passed between one side of thelowering-strap 1 and one of the leaves of the plate 3, as shown, and thewhole firmly secured in desired position on the lowering end of saidlowering-strap 1 by the rivets 7 '7 7, the shaft 4: being at the sametime fixed in its position. Again, referring to Fig. 3, thelowering-strap 2 is also provided with the plate 8, which is bent uponitself on a shaft 9 and is provided with a recess 10. A weight 11 isalso provided to be placed between one side of the lowering strap 2 andone of the leaves of the plate 8. Before theseveral parts named aresecured in place the shaft 9 is passed through a hole 12, provided nearthe end of a hook 13, Fig. 5, thus hinging the said hook 13 on saidshaft 9 in the recess 10 of the plate 8, and thus arranged the whole issecured on the lowering end of the lowering-strap 2 by the rivets 14 1414. It will be noticed that I have shown the weights 6 and 11 adjustedon the under sides of the lowering-straps 1 and 2, respectively. This isdone so that no possible obstruction may result in the withdrawal of thestraps against the cornersof the box or casket.

The hinged hook 13, arranged as aforementioned, is caused to engage orhook onto the shaft 4 in the recess 5 of the plate 3 of thelowering-strap 1 when it is desired to connect the ends of thelowering-straps 1 2 beneath and near theend of the burial-casket for thepurpose of lowering the same to its desired place. It will also beobserved that the hinged hook 13 is provided with a downward extension16 between its hook end and its hinge-point 12, the purpose of whichwill presently be seen.

p the same.

When it is desired to lower a bu rial-casket into the grave prepared forit, the loweringstraps are hooked together (a pair at each end of theburial-casket) by catching the hook end 15 of the hinged hook 13 of thelowering-strap 2 upon the shaft 4 of the lowering-strap 1, and theburial-casket is placed thereon. Prior to this, however, it is customaryto place strips of wood 1717, Fig. 1, or other material of properthickness near either end of the inclosing case or of the grave, as thecase may be, forthe ends of the casket to rest upon, so that its bottomside may not come in contact with the ground. Space is thus alsoafforded between the bottom of the casket and the ground in which thelowering straps or cords may be withdrawn and in which their unhookingor releasement from each other may be effected. As the weight of theburial-casket is brought to bear on the lowering straps or cords theirconnection with each other through the means already described'becomesmore assured and firm, and the lowering-straps tautened, as is seen inFig. 1, while the safety of the burial-casket from-accident is at thesame time provided for. When the burial-casket has been low ered to thesticks 17 17 and its ends rest upon them, the lowering-straps verynaturally become relaxed through being released of their burden, and asthe ends of the lowering-straps touch the ground their disconnection orreleasement is automatically and silently effected in the followingmanner: The weighted end of the relaxed lowering-strap 1 causes theshaft 4 to be drawn downward and out of the hook end 15 of the hingedbook 13, while at the same time the said hook end 15 is upwardly thrownthrough the impact brought to bear between its downward extension 16 andthe earth, which is assured by the weighted matter on the end of thelowering-strap 2, (see Figs. 1 and 4,) and a disconnection between thesaid lowering-straps noiselessly results, and they are then withdrawnfrom beneath the burial-casket.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my improvement,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. In a burial-casket-lowering device, the lowering ends of the loweringstraps or cords provided with weights and recessed keeperplates carryingshafts, and an interlocking hook having a downward extension midwaythereof hinged on one of said shafts substantially constructed in themanner and for the purpose herein shown anddescribed.

2. In a burial-casket-lowering device the lowering strap or cord 1,having fastened to its lowering end the plate 3, having the recess 5',combined with and carrying the weight 6, and the shaft 4 adapted to beengaged by an interlocking hook, substantially in the manner and for thepurpose herein described and shown.

3. In a burial-casket-lowering device the lowering strap or cord 2,having fastened to its lowering end the plate 8, having the re- I cess10, and carrying the weight 11, and the shaft 6, combined with thehinged hook 13, adapted to engage a keeper-plate having the downwardextension 16,'and hinged on said shaft 6, in said recess 10,substantially in the manner herein shown and described.

4. In a burial-casket-lowering device the lowering strap or cord 2,having fastened to its lowering end the plate 8, provided with therecess 10, and carrying the weight 11, and the shaft 9, on which saidshaft is carried the hinged hook 13, having the downward extension 16,in said recess 10; combined with the lowering strap or cord 1, alsohaving fastened to its lowering end the plate 3, provided with a recess5, and carrying the weight 6, and the shaft 4, on which the hinged hook13, hooks with its hooked end 15, in the said recess 5, and is unhookedtherefrom through the ground impact of its downward extension 16,substantially constructed in the mannerand for the purpose hereindescribed and shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at the city of Auburn,-county of Cayuga, State of New York, this 7th day of ,February, A. D.1899.

MITCHELL J. CAMERON.

Witnesses:

HOWARD N. CAMERON, ALBERT I-I. WILLIAMs.

